Western Juniors All-Stars fell behind by four runs through two outs in the second inning Monday night against Sunnyside when hard-throwing Christopher Gutierrez was summoned to the mound in relief.
The right-hander struck out the first batter he faced to end Sunnyside’s rally, which included a deep fly ball hit by Jesus Luevanos off the right field fence for a two-run double before Gutierrez took the mound.
Sunnyside did not advance a baserunner beyond second base the remainder of the game against Gutierrez and it fell victim to seven errors in Western’s 13-7 win at Curtis Park.
“(Gutierrez) did a great job for us, shut everything down,” Western manager Hector Carpio said. “The kids managed to stay in the fight and battled. I think part of the nerves were just that Sunnyside has such a great tradition in baseball around here.
“Sometimes the name on the chest, kind of they read into that a little more. They were excited, maybe too nervous. We got these kids to believe in themselves; they’re a good team. Hopefully, we can win one more and get to the championship game.”
Western manager Hector Carpio and his team are looking forward to the AZ State Juniors semifinal matchup with Nogales, which defeated Western last year at Nogales in the state tournament. Western vs. Nogales rematch is Wednesday at 6 pm at Curtis Park. pic.twitter.com/fwWupKsG5n
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 12, 2022
Western advances to the semifinals against Nogales Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Curtis Park. Sunnyside goes to the elimination bracket, where it will face West Flagstaff on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Curtis Park.
Sunnyside was coming off a dramatic victory Sunday night over Mohave Valley, rallying to win 15-14 after falling behind by 11 runs early. A nine-run rally in the fifth inning of that game was indicative of what Sunnyside could do with its lineup.
The team started Monday’s game the same way, unfazed that Western built a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, matching those three runs in the bottom of the inning that included Omar Flores’ two-run single.
A two-run single by Mitzael Lopez and Luevanos’ two-run double in the fourth increased the lead to 7-3 with two outs in the second inning.
That’s when Gutierrez switched from first base to the mound. He proceeded to pitch 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing only four hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.
Western pitcher Christopher Gutierrez pitched 5 1/3 innings of four-hit shutout relief while striking out seven and walking one in the 13-7 win over Sunnyside in the AZ State Juniors winner’s bracket game. pic.twitter.com/PZS3qzHNvh
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 12, 2022
“I was just trying to jam them inside mostly, that’s what I was doing the whole time,” said Gutierrez, who is 5-foot-11. “It worked pretty good getting some ground balls.”
Sunnyside grounded out five times, including a double-play in the seventh that was turned by shortstop Preston Robbins.
Gutierrez ended the game with a strikeout. On the two occasions Sunnyside managed to get a runner on second base against Gutierrez — in the third and fourth innings — he struck out the next batter. He retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced.
Despite poor playing conditions — the second half of the game was played mostly in high dusty winds and steady rainfall — Western appeared to play better as the game went along because of Gutierrez’s calming influence on the mound.
Western tied the game at 7 in the fourth inning, scoring four runs by taking advantage of three errors and a wild pitch. Santiago Mendivil, who went 2 for 4 with three runs and an RBI, had a run-scoring single as part of that rally.
Robbins’ double, scoring Mendivil, who doubled before him, in the sixth fueled a two-run rally that put Western ahead 9-7. Oscar Murillo also had an RBI single at the No. 8 spot in the lineup in that inning.
Another RBI single for Murillo in the top of the seventh spurred Western’s four-run rally to build the margin to 13-7. Yandel Rios-Arvayo also drove in a run with a single and No. 9 hitter Diego Mesa walked with the bases loaded in the rally.
Sunnyside struggled with three errors in the inning along with a wild pitch and a hit-by-pitch.
“Eyes on the ball, just kept my mind focused, didn’t worry about anything else, just stayed focused on the game,” Murillo said of his 3-for-4 performance with a run.
Western first baseman Oscar Murillo went 3 for 4 with two RBIs in the 13-7 win over Sunnyside, setting up a semifinal showdown with Nogales in the AZ State Juniors Tournament on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Curtis Park. pic.twitter.com/7yj1bZfVLV
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) July 12, 2022
Western’s game against Nogales on Wednesday is highly anticipated by Western after Nogales ousted them in last year’s rain-soaked Arizona State Juniors Tournament at Nogales. The tournament format had to be altered because of numerous rainouts and teams forfeiting because of travel costs.
Carpio mentioned Western was 2-0 when the tournament changed to a single-elimination format because of the conditions.
“We played them last year over there and we do want payback,” Carpio said with a smile. “I’d be lying if I told you we weren’t.”
Murillo added: “They better be ready because we’re coming.”
MONDAY, JULY 11
STATE 8-10 BASEBALL: MESA (D-7)
Mesa 4, Nogales 3
Rincon 10, Cactus Foothills 5
STATE JUNIORS BASEBALL: CURTIS/MEHL (D-5)
Nogales 18, Peoria 8 (5)
Western 13, Sunnyside 7
STATE SENIORS BASEBALL: WINSLOW (D-1)
Nogales 11, Mesa 1
TUESDAY, JULY 12
STATE 8-10 BASEBALL: MESA (D-7)
Canyon View vs. Chandler, 6 p.m.
STATE 50/70 BASEBALL: NOGALES (D-8)
Sunnyside vs. Prescott, 5 p.m.
STATE JUNIORS BASEBALL: CURTIS (D-5)
Sunnyside vs. West Flagstaff, 6 p.m. (Elimination)
STATE JUNIORS SOFTBALL: AVONDALE (D-2)
Sunnyside vs. Gilbert, 7:30 p.m. (Elimination)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13
STATE 8-10 BASEBALL: MESA (D-7)
Rincon vs. TBD, 6 p.m.
Nogales vs. Mount Graham, 8 p.m. (Elimination)
STATE 50/70 BASEBALL: NOGALES (D-8)
Western vs. TBD, 5 p.m.
STATE JUNIORS BASEBALL: CURTIS (D-5)
Nogales vs. Western, 6 p.m.
STATE SENIORS BASEBALL: WINSLOW (D-1)
Nogales vs. TBD, 6 p.m. (Championship)
STATE JUNIORS SOFTBALL: AVONDALE (D-2)
Thornydale vs. Williams, 7:30 p.m.
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